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COW-CALF OPERATIONSABOUT COW-CALF |
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Profiles of Farmers and RanchersArmstrong Farm - 2006 Environmental Stewardship Award WinnerGerald Armstrong, his wife Anna, and their sons Tim and Ethan live and farm on Manitoulin Island, Ontario, on land first settled by Gerald's great grandfather in 1905. Currently the farm supports 60 breeding cows, their calves and the previous season's calves (yearlings). The Armstrong family is proud to reside on and make their living from land that's been in the family for over 100 years. With land ownership comes responsibility for stewardship of the natural resources present on the land. The Armstongs were presented with the TESA award both for actions they've taken to preserve existing natural resources, and improvements made during their tenure that have increased wildlife habitat. The Forest The Armstrong land has both pasture land and forest land. To commemorate the farm's centennial, a timber frame barn was built using the techniques in use at the time the land was settled. Management of the farm's forest resources is always a concern. "Selective cutting is vital whether you're harvesting timber for a barn or cutting a year's supply of firewood," notes Gerald Armstrong. While the barn was built using methods in place a century ago, its purpose has a most modern twist. Thirty per cent of the funding for the centennial project was accessed through the provincial Environmental Farm Plan, which had financial assistance available for manure storage projects that keep livestock manure run-off out of water bodies. There are five manure storage bays built in the barn. As manure is moved from bay to bay it is naturally aerated and turns into compost. The compost is used to fertilize the pastures, resulting in more forage to feed the cattle. The Land The Armstrongs are firm believers in rotational grazing. Rotational grazing means removing livestock from an area of pasture for a period of time that permits the grass to grow and recover before livestock are permitted to graze it again. This keeps the grass healthier than if it was permitted to be grazed continually, and healthier than if it was not grazed at all and the grass was allowed to overgrow, become clumpy and choke out other plant species. The Armstrongs divide the pasture into paddocks (small fenced fields) of approximately 150 acres (60.7 hectares) and keep cattle off each paddock for a minimum two month uninterrupted rest period. Rotational grazing allows the pasture grass to re-establish stands through self seeding. Allowing the pasture to regenerate in this manner has the added bonus of extending the grazing season into early winter, meaning the Armstrongs can delay having to feed the cattle hay (cut and dried grasses), thus saving time and money. The Armstrongs also keep between 40 and 50 ewes (female sheep) which produce between 80 and 90 lambs each spring. While the lambs are sold for meat, the sheep have an additional purpose on the farm. Sheep will eat thistles and other weeds that will take over a pasture if left unchecked. Using sheep prevents having to use pesticides or other weed control methods. The Water The soil that overlies the bedrock on the Armstrong farm is shallow and dries out easily during summers with little rainfall. Finding a solution to this challenge provided benefits both for the family business and the wildlife that share their land. Water management was essential to the Armstrongs' dual goal of environmental improvement and increased productivity. Creating a reservoir was the key. An environmentally-approved dam and berm were built to capture and control snowmelt. The resulting seven acre (2.83 hectares) reservoir provides water for cropland irrigation. It also created new wildlife habitat. Recognizing that waterfowl like wild ducks and geese would be attracted to the new water body as a nesting site, the Armstrongs applied to the Wetland Habitat Fund and Healthy Futures for partial funding to build a fence around the reservoir to keep the cattle out. Leaving a strip of land between the fence and the water's edge (known as a buffer strip) gives waterfowl a place to nest without the risk of their eggs being accidentally stepped on by the cattle. A second water management project created a 60 acre (24.28 hectares) wetland swamp approximately 12 inches deep. As well as providing further water for irrigation, the wetland is ideal waterfowl habitat. Because the wetland is 10 feet higher than an existing pasture, gravity permits non-mechanized irrigation of the field resulting in increased forage production. As a result of the two projects, storage for 26 million gallons (98.5 million litres) of water was created. During the most recent growing season, approximately four million gallons (15 million litres) was used for irrigation. The remainder was utilized by wildlife. The Wildlife A number of wetland plant species have become established in the artificially created wetland. The Armstrongs enjoy observing the wildlife that is attracted to the wetland. Waterfowl that have been spotted include gadwall ducks, wood ducks, mallard ducks, and Canada geese. Frogs, turtles and snakes have also moved into the wetland. The Future Gerald Armstrong recognizes that while all beef cattle farmers want to be good stewards of their natural resources, not all can afford to make the type of improvements that he has done. "I feel that the environmental improvements I have made on my farm benefit society at large through increased wildlife habitat and breeding sites and improved water quality," he says. "It is essential that farmers receive adequate funding to make these types of projects possible." Merit Cattle Co. - 2005 Environmental Stewardship Award WinnerMerit Cattle Co. raises purebred Charolais and Angus beef cattle in the rolling Missouri Couteau hills of southern Saskatchewan. The family company, consisting of Emile Carles and his wife Sandra, daughter Janelle and her husband Trent Liebreich, purchased the land on which they operate in 1971. The name of the company was selected by the family because merit means value and advantage. The family has developed a mission statement for Merit Cattle Co.: "We utilize integrity, vision and disciplined work ethics to enable us to make a positive impact on the cattle industry. Our mission is to supply reliable (beef cattle) genetics using effective nutrition, health and management practices that will enable us to deliver cattle that create value for cattlemen and beef producers." In addition to this mission statement, the family has short-term and long-term goals for the natural resources under their stewardship. They believe that native rangeland and tame grass (seeded) pasture should be left to future generations in better condition than when it first came under their stewardship. Emile Carles says he considers himself a grass producer first and a purebred livestock breeder second. "It doesn't matter what a livestock enterprise consists of," he says. "A producer must have quality pastures that are productive to sustain the livestock - the cattle are a by-product that utilizes productive pastures." The Land Merit Cattle Co. is located in the prairie ecozone of southern Saskatchewan. The Missouri Coteau, or "hills of the prairie", in which it is located is part of what's known as the Prairie Pothole Region. Potholes describe the low-lying areas, also known as sloughs that fill with snowmelt each spring. These potholes, or sloughs, are semi-permanent wetlands dotted throughout the prairie landscape. They provide nesting areas for native waterfowl such as wild ducks and are a source of water for other species of wildlife. Emile and Sandra purchased their first quarter section (64.7 hectares) of land in 1971. The land was used for growing grain crops. A small herd of non-purebred cattle, raised for beef, was also started to utilize the hilly land that was unsuitable for growing crops. Because of the limited land available for pasture, the Carles decided in 1973 that they could earn more money from their cattle if they began raising purebreds. Purebreds can be sold for a higher price than non-purebred (commercial) cattle, which are sold for beef. Purebred cattle are sold to farmers and ranchers who put them in their breeding herds. Their limited land base also led the Carles to experiment with intensive rotational grazing. In rotational grazing, pasture land is divided into paddocks (small fields enclosed by fences). Cattle are permitted to graze each paddock in rotation. After a paddock has been grazed the cattle are moved to another paddock, and the grazed land is permitted to rest and re-grow. This produces healthier pasture than either allowing cattle to continuously graze, or not grazing the pasture at all. Continuous grazing sometimes results in overgrazing, which can reduce plant coverage and result in soil degradation. Not grazing a pasture at all can result in some plants overgrowing and taking over the pasture, thus reducing plant species diversity. Rotational grazing carefully monitors pastures and results in healthier plant growth, which helps support more livestock. In the following years Merit Cattle Co. acquired over 2,700 acres (1,092 hectares) of purchased and leased land. Some of the land had never been broken and was still in native grass. The rest had been previously cultivated. Working in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited Canada, a conservation company, the cultivated land was seeded to grass. Seeding the land to grass provided additional pasture for the family's cattle and helped protect the land from soil erosion . It also provided wildlife habitat. The Water The newly acquired land was divided into paddocks to permit rotational grazing. To ensure each new paddock had a reliable water supply, dugouts were built. Dugouts are artificial ponds created by digging out the soil to create a low spot which is filled each spring by snowmelt. In addition to providing water for livestock, dugouts provide water for wildlife. They attract frogs and other amphibians and provide nesting and feeding sites for wild ducks and geese. Partnering with Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Saskatchewan Watershed Authority, Merit Cattle Co. installed a solar powered watering system to pump water into troughs for the cattle in the tame forage field. This prevents cattle from trampling the dugout banks, thus improving the riparian area (area of land adjacent to a water body), permitting more plants to grow and protecting waterfowl nests. The Wildlife Planting cultivated land to grass and constructing dugouts to provide water sources has been good for wildlife as well as for the business of raising cattle. Species of wildlife that have been seen on the ranch include:
The Future The Carles and Liebreich families of Merit Cattle Co. would like to see future generations able to make a living off their land and enjoy the wonders of nature that can be found throughout the different habitats found on the ranch. All of the business decisions made keep that future in mind. |
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